Third Annual PV Pink Light Ceremony Held

Photos by Diana Percy

The Shawnee Mission Medical Center, SMMC, along with breast cancer survivors, put on their third annual Prairie Village PV Pink Light Ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 29. For the month of October, SMMC sets up pink lights lining the PV shops to honor breast cancer survivors.

“We’ve been very successful through this program throughout the month of October,” SMMC administrator Morgan Chandler said. “All we are doing is hoping to bring awareness to this cause.”

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 230,815 women and 2,109 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. Of those diagnosed, 40,860 women and 464 men died. Twelve of those survivors flipped the switch to illuminate the lights for the ceremony last Thursday. All were treated at SMMC, one being survivor and Administrative Director of Oncology Services, Breast Cancer and Holistic care at SMMC, Becca McMahon.

“Breast cancer is one of the types [of cancer] that has a much better chance of being beat if caught early,” McMahon said. “[In general] people try to put others before themselves and some tend to not think of their health as much. We are trying to force people to think more about [health].”

SMMC is hoping that their “Light the Town Pink” ceremony will influence women to get monthly mammograms, as well as yearly check-ups.